As companies have begun to consider research to be exceedingly expensive and time-consuming, they have started to cut back on research and development spending in lieu of the short term profit gains that follow. Even when these companies do produce scientific discovery, it is often skewed towards research that will make money, rather than to fulfill a need. Pharmaceutical industries are notorious for neglecting to devote funds to diseases that don’t affect large enough populations to make a profit (Orphan drugs) or when their market is not rich enough to warrant such research (such is the case with many diseases in developing countries that receive little to no funding from pharmaceutical companies). A more egalitarian system would help these disenfranchised groups to receive the same sort of scientific attention than everyone else. While this problem is blatant in the pharmaceutical industry and has real-world effects, it influences other scientific facets as well. If we only fund scientific research because of an immediate cash reward, we will undoubtedly miss out on those innovations that could be shaped into something great and profitable if given time. As Leon Lederman points out in “The Fundamental Value of Science” theoretical knowledge such as that on high energy particle physics or the particle accelerate, …show more content…
While financial institutions have done much good for the scientific world, and may be considered by some as the ideal pioneers in the field, introducing institutions whose main motives are financial gain into the world of science will continue to introduce conflicts. Financial interests affect what research is done and what is ignored, the end results, how we are willing to get these results, as well as how these discoveries are disseminated among the public. These influences cannot be ignored as they have serious implications because of the authority that comes from claiming that a result is scientific and empirical. While these influences do not necessarily mean that corporate science cannot function within the ideological norms of science, transparency and a strong will to do good sometimes despite profits are needed in order for this system to